Timothy Nunes's Reviews
Moving Out 2 reeks of charm and goofy heart, which makes for a winning recipe when coupled with gameplay that matches perfectly. This may not be a title that everyone will enjoy, but anyone looking for a fun break from norm or love goofy games have something special to find in Moving Out 2.
Atlas Fallen suffers a few mishaps along the way, with enemies able to do cheap shots, modernized fast travel limitations, and a rather empty map. At the same time, there's a fun story here that keeps you moving forward, and combat itself feels visceral without being over-demanding. This is a great entry point for newcomers to the genre. Atlas Fallen has high fantasy alongside simple but intricate combat. It may not make game of the year by any means, but it certainly makes a good impression.
Very little gets in the way of the success that Final Fantasy XVI creates. The strength of combat on top of a compelling, deep narrative steal the show. Despite little need for world exploration and the occasional lower resolution texture, Final Fantasy XVI stats true to the namesake while forging its own path forward.
There's no better way to play this series than the PS5 release of Layers of Fear, combining both stories under one cohesive umbrella. It also shows fantastic early potential in Unreal Engine 5, showcasing exactly what it can offer the rest of the gaming industry.
This may not be the horror romp you're itching for, but Amnesia: The Bunker provides a fantastic map to explore with engaging gameplay to make it that much more enjoyable. It's too bad the game's stalker creature lacks the necessary delivery to generate authentic scares.
No One Lives Under The Lighthouse is an interesting take on Lovecraftian lore, with the focus more on letting you feel and discover the effects rather than showing them to you. Not everything pieces together conveniently, the gameplay can feel mundane if you're not into it, and some of the events leave room for improvement. Still, there's something compelling here, juxtaposing the complexity of the mythos that inspired the game with the simplicity of its overall presentation.
The Tartarus Key combines thoughtful puzzles, engaging writing, and a compelling setting and melds them together inside a PS1 package. It may not create a great deal of horror, but the writing and suspense keep you moving forward.
Much like the namesake character himself, The Lord of The Rings: Gollum couldn't be saved from what it became. Frustrating platforming coupled with boring gameplay and cheap ways to die make any experience hard to play. Unfortunately, the intriguing setting and lore exploration can't come close to overshadowing the game's fundamental issues.
The indie horror scene does it again, showing the big studios what the horror genre needs. Not all the ideas work as well as they should, but the game delivers a unified vision that still gets under your skin.
There's a great deal of cool traits to Strayed Lights, including thoughtful enemy design, strong premise, and charming visuals. However, pacing suffers greatly, and combat forces its way into the forefront with memorization and inconsistent parry windows. It's short and can be sweet, but there's an overarching bitterness that's hard to ignore.
Square-Enix put together a fine collection of its first Final Fantasies, adding in some features that bring a bit of a modern touch without losing too much of the original varnish. Not all games work perfectly with these features, and the games still show they were made 30 years ago, but the final package delivered a nostalgic burst worthy of the franchise namesake.
Beautifully blending two realms, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened presents a great investigative game, asking you to do your own research without going too far. For your own good, grab this game if you have even the slightest bit of curiosity. You won't regret it.
The formula that Across the Valley tries to present is a decent one, simple enough to make a decent time. Unfortunately, the lack of polish on top of navigation issues make this game hard to stick with. Even after the first update, it's in a rough place.
Hot Wheels Rift Rally brings a lot of interesting ideas to the mixed reality formula, maximizing its potential despite its limitations. Nonetheless, the cost involved coupled with camera spatial issues and real world demands for playing the game all come together to create a deeply niche product.
Any roguelike fan needs to get their hands on Post Void. Quite frankly, if you have any remote curiosity in trying out the game, just do it. Apart from floor jumping not as refined as the rest of the game, the complete package offers up something special, hectic, and engaging. Take it from someone who hates roguelikes: Post Void is a fun roguelike, complete with fever dream.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End and The Secret Key bids a fond farewell to arguably the franchise's most beloved alchemist. With it comes a series-encompassing narrative and engaging yet imperfect combat. To boot, you can dig into the systems as much or as little as you want and still succeed. Ryza 3 truly sets the bar for the Atelier franchise.
Before Your Eyes delivers a touching story that leans into the PSVR2 hardware to do so. You can play the game while sitting, but the unabated way to play is while standing. It may not sell PSVR2 units on its own, but all PSVR2 owners absolutely need to own Before Your Eyes.
It may not be perfect, but the localization of Fatal Frame: Mask of The Lunar Eclipse polishes the original product in ways that only benefit the package. Some things can't be easily improved, like stiff main characters or combat fundamentals, but this is a solid effort to bring this game stateside. Horror fans will have a great time here, but it might not be enough for everyone to jump into.
Startenders begins its life on the PSVR 2 with unfortunate technical issues. Those aside, this is still a job simulator game. It's done well enough when it works, but the game loop doesn't offer much else. It has an attractive price point for what it is, but wait for a patch before jumping in.
Unplugged: Air Guitar may not sell the PSVR2 hardware on its own, but it needs to be played by every PSVR2 owner. With a fun track list and immersive gameplay, Unplugged beautifully fills that void left by Guitar Hero. Issues aside, Unplugged is more than worth the cost of admission.